1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording method and apparatus for recording a pattern image including a stripe shape on the surface of a recording object.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device such as a liquid crystal display comprises a color filter including a pattern in the form of a black stripe (a black matrix) to improve a contrast ratio and red, green and blue stripes provided alternately between the black stripes, which is attached to a display surface.
FIG. 57 is a plan view showing an example of the color filter, (a) being a general view showing the color filter and (b) being a partially enlarged view thereof. The color filter is provided with a pattern of the black stripe (K) and stripe-shaped patterns which are alternately formed in order of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) between the black stripes (K). Table 1 shows a screen size, the number of pixels (constituting one pixel by a set of R, G and B), each pixel size and a stripe width for each name (inch) in a display to meet SXGA standards, and Table 2 shows the relationship between each black stripe width (BM width) and a numerical aperture (a brightness index) for each name (inch).
TABLE 1DisplayStrip Size (mm)Pixel NumbersPixel Size(mm)WidthWidthHeightWidthHeightWidthHeight(mm)28620350124010000.50.350.167Inch32709400124010000.5710.40.19Inch36797450124010000.6430.450.214Inch42930525124010000.750.5250.25Inch
TABLE 2Numerical Aperture to BM Width (mm)0.010.020.030.0428 Inch94.0%88.0%82.0%76.0%32 Inch94.8%89.5%84.3%79.0%36 Inch95.3%90.7%86.0%81.3%42 Inch96.0%92.0%88.0%84.0%
In the case in which such a color filter is to be fabricated, it is possible to utilize a recording method by the following laser exposure in order to fabricate the pattern of the color filter, for example. More specifically, in the method, a transfer sheet having an image forming layer which can be separated is superposed on the recording surface of a support member, a pattern including the shape of a stripe is recorded from above the transfer sheet by laser exposure in that state, and the transfer sheet is separated from the recording surface of the support member after the recording operation, thereby transferring and forming the image forming layer on the recording surface of the support member in the form of the pattern.
In the case in which a pattern arranging the red (R), the green (G) and the blue (B) like a stripe in order is to be obtained by using the recording method as shown in FIG. 58, for example, the recording operation is caused to progress in such a procedure that a stripe-shaped pattern of the red (R) is first recorded by using the transfer sheet of the red (R), and a stripe-shaped pattern of the green (G) is then recorded by using the transfer sheet of the green (G) and a stripe-shaped pattern of the blue (B) is finally recorded by using the transfer sheet of the blue (B).
In that case, conventionally, the transfer sheet used for the recording operation once for one color is exactly discarded. As shown in FIG. 59, however, a region (a recorded section) 2 used for the recording operation is decolorized and other portions remain as a region (unrecorded section) 3 which can still be used in the transfer sheet 7 used once. Therefore, the fact that the transfer sheet 7 is exactly discarded is not desirable in respect of the effective utilization of resources and a reduction in a manufacturing cost and causes much wastefulness.